Recently ranked among the top three universities for campus food, UMass Amherst is committed to delivering healthy and sustainable dining options, from free-range eggs and homemade bread, to locally-grown produce from farms and permaculture gardens. Now, the recently renovated Hampshire Dining Commons on campus can boast its own sustainable accolades after achieving LEED Gold certification. The architectural team at Bergmeyer Associates, Inc. aligned the university's sustainable food program within an efficient and sustainable design for the facility. This makes Hampshire Dining Commons one of the most sustainable dining halls in the country and a model for holistic sustainable solutions.
Pursuing LEED certification drove a number of decisions, most importantly the decision to retain 98.98% of the original concrete structure in the 46,000 s/f space. Polishing the floor slabs and celebrating the cast concrete shell set the tone for the project's rustic industrial aesthetic. It was expected that replacing the original single-pane windows would be money well spent, however energy modeling revealed the rate air exhausted through the cooking hoods counteracted any benefit from better window insulation. Instead, the team redirected the investment into higher-efficiency hoods, saving both capital and operational costs. LED lighting was chosen as the source for illuminating the space. Energy Star certified appliances were used where available. Most of materials used in this project are made with high levels of recycled content (tiles, entry mat, steel). Water efficient plumbing fixtures were chosen. Finally, most of the wood used throughout the space was reclaimed. As a result, according to ASHRAE standards, this facility is 23% more efficient than other buildings of the same size and type.
The project's success with its guests stems from the innovative form of "the egg"; a circular plan allowing each menu station to feature a different cuisine, resulting in a guest experience akin to shopping in a continuous street market. This design not only puts the food on center stage - literally, but also creates operational and construction efficiencies. The operations team sources the majority of its food locally and from fair trade sources, composts all food waste, and recycles all packaging materials.
In addition to its award in sustainability, Hampshire Dining Commons was recently honored with an Edwin F. Guth Memorial Award for Interior Lighting, given by the Illuminating Engineering Society. With a collaborative design with Sladen Feinstein Integrated Lighting, the award recognizes exceptional interior lighting projects which balance the functional illumination of space with the artistic application of light to enhance the occupant's experience.
Bergmeyer is a mid-sized architecture and interior design firm founded in 1973 that designs for a broad range of human needs and experiences, from places where people live, work, and learn to destinations in retail and dining. Client engagement is central to the firm's process. The team facilitates conversations to help design environments that balance the clients' vision and aesthetic preferences with practical concerns for durability, functionality, budget, and schedule. The firm helps their clients to perfect and excel at whatever they do through strategic, responsive, and elegant design solutions.